Why Soft Skills Are The Future For The Houston Metro Workforce

We work with many Houston Metro business owners, so that means that the April 15th deadline doesn’t carry quite the same “relief” that it does for many firms who work primarily with individual tax returns.

Which is one of the reasons why you still see me posting a strategy note here this week.

Another reason is that word on the street is that there are many Houston Metro taxpayers who aren’t very happy with their tax return.

From what I can gather, many of these people are W-2 employees, and not business owners. But just because your accountant somehow qualified you for the §199A deduction, it doesn’t mean that he/she covered all your tax bases.

If you’d like a second opinion on your tax return, we’ll happily review it, to make sure that everything possible was covered properly.

Oh, and I promise: no robots will be involved…

Why Soft Skills Are The Future For The Houston Metro Workforce

“Creativity is putting your imagination to work, and it’s produced the most extraordinary results in human culture.” -Ken Robinson

If we see the growth of AI as something scary, it’s probable that Hollywood has affected our minds. We might immediately think of robots taking over the human race. But without going too far down that path … it’s clear that the more advanced bot technology becomes, the more our interactions in life and the workplace will change.

Some jobs have a greater chance of technology eradicating their roles, thereby changing the lives of many individuals.

But as AI continues to enhance, it begs the question: how will we keep up?

The World Economic Forum wrote an article last year on the top 10 most desirable soft skills, according to potential employers, that will combat the tech-heavy workforce. WEC names some rapidly rising technology platforms — “AI, Internet, Self-Driving Cars, Nanotechnology, Quantum Computing, etc.” — and how they might take jobs from humans. But I’m curious about your thoughts on the soft skills side of things.

Before we ask how your business could benefit from some of these skills, here is the list:

Complex Problem Solving

Critical Thinking

Creativity

People Management

Coordinating with Others

Emotional Intelligence

Judgment and Decision Making

Service Orientation

Negotiation

Cognitive Flexibility

Take that, robots. They’ll never be able to coordinate with others creatively while negotiating a deal and utilizing sound judgment … or at least I really hope not.

How are soft skills perceived in your office? How do soft skills affect your hiring process? Do you look for talented individuals who exhibit these interpersonal traits, or do you mostly look for people who can come in and get the job done from a technical standpoint? I think there is value in both qualities, but it might be easier to teach someone the “technical stuff” more than “creativity” for instance.

This is why I love what I do.

I get to work in an industry that seems very technical and numbers-focused. But to come alongside you and your taxes is a relationship that I don’t take lightly. You work hard all year and deserve to get the filing process right. I’m here to help you and/or your business with your tax prep and multiple financial needs. What skills does that require? I’d like to think problem solving (#1 on the list!), coordinating with others, service orientation, and sound judgment.

Are soft skills trending up in your office? I’d like to know if your team places an emphasis on these traits.

It might just be how we work through the “fourth industrial revolution”.

But as far as humanity goes, in the end, I think we’ll be just fine … I think.

Feel free to share this post with any of your Houston Metro business associates or clients you know who could benefit from our assistance. While these particular articles usually relate to business strategy, as you know, we specialize in tax preparation and planning for families and business owners.